Zanzibar: Feeding Programs To Be Re-Established In Primary Schools
Zanzibar Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing, Ms. Thuwaiba Kissasi, has decided to re-launch feeding programs, which were abandoned in the 1970s, in nine primary schools on the island. The objectives of the project include providing a meal to each student during school days, enhancing child health, protecting school children against malnutrition, as well as upholding good attendance of pupils.
Below is an article published by allAfrica:
Zanzibar Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing Ms Thuwaiba Kissasi re-launches school feeding programme at Kijini Primary School in Zanzibar.
Pupils, teachers and parents at Kijini village in North 'A' district in Zanzibar joined together recently to celebrate the revival of the school feeding programme which was abandoned in the 1970s.
It is believed that during that time (1960s and 1970s) when students were provided with proper meals at school, they performed well in classes as they were healthy and active.
"When the programme stopped in primary schools, it had a big impact on the children's growth, learning capability and attendance," said Mr Mussa Omar, a retired teacher at the re-launch of the programme last week.
Mr Omar said children in nursery and primary schools need proper meals for their health. "They also need body exercises," he said.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ms Mwanaidi Saleh, told the gathering at the re-launch of the 'Home Grown School Feeding' (HGSF) that the scheme would be implemented in nine schools in two districts of Micheweni, Pemba and North 'A'.
She said that statistics in the selected areas show that many children are faced with malnutrition, stunted growth, absenteeism and engaged in child labour. "We thank Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and Table-for-Two (TFT) for accepting Zanzibar's request for support in 2012," she said.
The one-year pilot programme would be extended to other schools in the future if it succeeds, Ms Saleh said. A total of 5,250 nursery and primary school pupils are targeted in the HGSF project to be run by several committees.
These committees are HGSF programme Technical Committee with seven members picked from ministries of health, agriculture and Education ministries; National Food Security and Nutrition (NFSN) committee and schools committees in the selected schools.
"Objectives of the project include providing a meal to each student during school days, improving child health and protection against malnutrition and maintaining good attendance of pupils," said Ms Saleh.
